Combination metal door and door frame unit



Jan. 10, 1967 D. s. CURL COMBINATION METAL DOOR AND DOOR FRAME UNITFiled March 51, 1964 IN VENTOR. Donald S. CURL y m Ma I FIGS Agent.

United States Patent 9 f 3,296,743 C(DMBINATION METAL DQOR AND DOORFRAME UNIT Donald S. Curl, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, assignor to AlLipson and Bernard Smith, both of Toronto, On-

tario, Canada Filed Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,134 5 Claims. (Cl.49-382) The invention relates broadly to metal door and door framecombination units with particular reference to the door posts and doorstiles incorporated therein and to the weather stripping facilitiesembodied therein for sealing the spaces between the door and its frame.

Metal doors are now usually supplied to builders in combination withmatching frames prefabricated to receive the doors so that a door andits associated frame may be installed together in a wall opening havingthe appropriate dimensions.

In a combination unit as visualized by the invention the door comprisesstiles which constitute the edges thereof and which are joined togtherin spaced relation by top and bottom transverse members at least.Expediently said stiles are symmetrical to each other in cross-sectionalcontour and are preferably extruded so that each is of uniformcross-section throughout its entire length. The door is hingedly hung byone of its said stiles which is then often referred to as the hangingstile of the door.

The door frame visualized by the invention comprises door posts whichare preferably symmetrical with each other and cross-sectionally uniformin the same manner as the door stiles aforesaid; said door posts beinginterconnected in spaced parallel, relation by a lintel which may alsohave a cross-section essentially similar if not absolutely identical tothat of the door posts.

Each said door post is of angular construction having one flange whichserves as a door jamb and another flange for overlying the wall surfaceadjacent to the opening in which the door and its frame are installed.

The door posts visualized by the invention are also equipped with hollowbeads capable of being trimmed to present bearings for pintles on hingeleaves connectible to the hanging stile of the door in a well-knownmanner which is not part of this invention. In the past said hollowbeads or hinge beads were usually disposed at the precise corner formedby the jamb and wall surface flanges of the door post.

Various techniques were utilized in the past for Weather stripping orsealing the door and door frame units to block drafts therethrough. Onetechnique of particular interest to the invention involved equippingsaid door stiles and door posts with what might be called, interceptingelements whereby when the door was closed such element on a door postwould assume a confronting or intercepting position relative to acorresponding element on the associated door to sandwich weatherstripping therebetweeu providing a seal.

For the sake of orientation the front of the door is herein assumed tobe that surface thereof which leads when the door is moved into closedposition relative to said door frame; the opposite surface being theback of the door. Thus the front edges of the door are the edges of itsleading surface while its back edges are those of the trailing sunface.

In the past the said intercepting elements were respectively constitutedby an offset on the jamb flange of the door post serving as a door stopand an abutment on the front edge of the door; facilities being alsoprovided for supporting weather stripping in a position to be sandwichedbetween said offset and its abutment to provide the required seal.

3,296,743 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 For a variety of reasons which need notbe enumerated herein the seal thus provided proved inadequate at times.An object of the invention is therefore to provide a combination metaldoor and door frame unit equipped with a set of intercepting elements inaddition to or alternative with those of the prior art above described;one of said intercepting elements being at the back edge of the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination door anddoor frame unit as aforesaid wherein the other intercepting element isdisposed at the juncture of the jamb and surface flanges.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination unitas aforesaid wherein the door post stock is formed with jamb and surfaceflanges meeting at a corner and a hinge bead on said surface flange;there being a ledge intervening between the said corner and hinge beadforming an intercepting element as aforesaid.

An object of the invention related to each of the foregoing objects is,of course, the provision of weather strip supporting facilities on oneat least of said intercepting elements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide stock forcombination metal door and door frame units as respectively described ineach of the preceding objectives of the invention.

An additional object of the invention is to provide stock as aforesaidwith facilities for two seals between the door and door posts and it isa further related object of the invention to dispose such facilities sothat they will not interfere with the movement of the door between openand closed positions relative to the door frame.

A more specific object of the invention is that the stock aforesaid willserve for use on each side of a combination unit as aforesaid, i.e. forboth stiles and both door posts.

Further and other objects of the invention more or less broad than theforegoing will be apparent from or specifically stated in thehereinafter following description of the elements, parts and principlesconstituting the invention of which a preferred embodiment is hereindescribed and illustrated in the annexed drawing by way of example only.Like parts of the invention are designated by like reference devicesthroughout the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a door and door frame combination unitas contemplated by the invention installed in a wall opening;

FIG. 2 an isometric view of a length of extruded stock for the doorposts of the door frame shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, an isometric view of a length of extruded stock for the stilesof the door shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1 particularly showing adoor post mounted on the wall aforesaid and a stile of the doorassociated therewith, the stile being shown in full and in dotted linesrespectively denoting its open and closed positions relative to saiddoor post;

FIG. 5, a section along the line V-V of FIG. 1 particularly showing adoor post mounted on the wall and a stile of the door hingedly mountedthereon, the door stile being shown in full and dotted linesrespectively denoting its open and closed positions relative to saiddoor post, and

FIG. 6, a section along the line VIVI of FIG. 1 taken through a hingebut corresponding in all other respects to FIG. 5.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a combination metal door and door frame unit ascontemplated by the invention comprising door D hingedly hung forswinging between open and closed positions relative to the doorwayprovided by door frame F installed in an opening in wall W.

As will be seen, said door D comprises symmetrical stiles 22 connectedin spaced relation by header 4 and kick plate 6; the stiles 2-2, atleast, being derived from extrusion 2' of FIG. 3 which, being anextrusion, is of uniform cross-section throughout its length and ishollow having a back wall 8 which forms the specific edge of door D.

The door frame F comprises door posts 1810 connected by a lintel 11;said door posts at least of this embodiment being derived from extrusion10 of FIG. 2 which, being an extrusion, is of uniform crosssectionthroughout its length rendering said door posts 1010 symmetrical witheach other.

It will be observed that the door post extrusion 10 is of angular formproviding each said door post 10 with a jamb flange 12, a surface flange14 and a corner 16 merging said jamb and surface flanges 12 and 14; saidsurface flange 14 overlying the surface of wall W adjacent and aroundthe door frame F as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6.

Said door post stock 10 is also provided with a hollow hinge bead 20disposed on the surface flange 14; the hinge bead 20 being separatedfrom corner 16 by a narrow intervening ledge 22 which is provided withformations for seating and retaining weather stripping 23 and is one ofthe intercepting elements previously discussed; serving as a stop for anabutment on the edge 8 of door stile 2 as will be duly apparent.

Said jamb flange 12 is a relatively long and narrow panel of which oneedge is constituted by corner 16; it having an offset 24 at its oppositeedge which is also formed to provide seating wherein weather stripping23 is retainable. The offset 24 is also an intercepting element ascontemplated by the invention providing a stop for an abutmentconstituted by the front edge of the door D as will duly appear.

Stops are thus provided at the respective edges of the jamb flange 12 inthe form of ledge 22 and offset 24 separated from each other by thewidth of the jamb flange 12.

Although not specifically illustrated in the drawing, it will beunderstood that the side walls of door stiles 22 connected by back wall8 are included in the surfaces 30-30 of door D and that, for thepurposes of orientation, the door surface which leads when the door D isbeing closed relative to door post 10, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, isherein termed its front 30 while its opposite surface is referred to asthe back 30' of the door.

In the present embodiment of the invention, said door front and back30-30 continue outwardly beyond the door edge 8 providing abutments forco-operation with the door stops on the door post 10, namely: ledge 22and offset 24.

It will be recalled that the invention seeks to provide stile and doorpost stock which will be suitable for use at both left and right sidesof the present combination unit as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus,notwithstanding that one of said stiles 2 is the hanging stile by whichthe door D is hingedly hung on a door post 10 by hinge leaves 32, theco-action of each said stile 2 with its associated or companion doorpost 10 is substantially the same as the co-action of the opposite stile2 and door post 10.

In other words, as door D swings between open and closed positionsrelative to the doorway provided by door frame F, each said stile 2 willalso move between open and closed positions relative to its own doorpost 10.

Resultantly the following description of the co-action of one stile 2and door post 10 should be regarded as equally applicable to the otherstile and door post combination.

As has already been explained, the stile 2 has a back wall 8 which formspart of the perimeter of door D and the front and back surfaces 3030'which extend outwardly beyond it co-operate therewith to define ashallow channel such as for accommodating hinge leaf 32 as in FIGS. 5and 6.

FIGS. 4 and 5, each show a door stile 2 in an open and in a closedposition relative to a door post 10; the open position being shown infull lines whereas the closed position is shown in dotted lines in eachinstance revealing uniform spacing or centering of door D betweendoorposts 10. Scrutiny of each said view will reveal that the front edge34 of door D constitutes the abutment engaged with offset 24 whereas theback edge 36 is the abutment for the door stop constituted by ledge 22the whole of which it substantially overlaps and engages in the closedposition of door D.

These views further show that the spacing between the front and backedges of the door D is generally commensurate with the spacing betweenledge 22 and offset 24. In addition, it is also revealed thaat whereasthe offset 24 projects towards door D, ledge 22 necessarily recedestherefrom to avoid interference with the movement of door D between openand closed positions relative to door frame F.

Thus, while it is immaterial that front edge 34 of door D extendsoutwardly beyond the back wall 8 of stile 2, such extension of said backedge 36 is quite definitely necessary to ensure its engagement withledge 22. The said 'back edge 36 of the door D therefore takes onsubstantial proportions, becoming a frank fin overlapping and blockingthe gap 38 between stile 2 and door post 10 as most clearly shown inFIG. 4.

Because of its proximity to the hinge formed by hinge bead 20 and hingeleaves 32, it is thought that the compressive force exerted by said backedge or fin 36 of door D on the weather stripping 23 sandwiched betweenit and ledge 22 may well be greater than the corresponding forcesustained by the weather stripping between the companion pair ofintercepting elements, namely front door edge 34 and offset 24, thusproviding a better seal between the door D and its frame F. Moreover, itis also believed that such seal is further enhanced by the extra widthwhich is capable of being incorporated in said fin 36 and ledge 22; theoffset 24 being expediently maintained relatively narrow to resistdeformation by front door edge 34.

However, irrespective of the degree of improvement in the aforesaidsealing properties afforded by the present fin 36 and ledge 22 when usedas an alternative to the companion intercepting elements there can bevery little doubt that the conjoint use of both sets of interceptingelements as herein visualized provides such improvement to a verysignificant degree inasmuch as the gap 38 aforesaid between stile 2 anddoor post 10 becomes completely sealed ofl? thereby.

It may be worthy of mention at this point that various liberties havebeen taken with the drawing for the sake of clarity. For example, theseparation between some of the parts has been over emphasized to enablethem to appear in substantial relief and others of the parts have beenomitted entirely to simplify the drawing. Thus it is for example thatthe weather stripping 23 is not shown under the compression which wouldobtain in the normal use of the parts.

In addition, it is also noteworthy that the weather stripping appearingin FIG. 6 has been trimmed to accommodate hinge leaf 32; being otherwiseof the thickness shown, for example, in the other views.

Details of the hinge leaf 32, the pintles carried thereby and the mannerof its connection to the door and door post have been omitted herefrominasmuch as this data constitutes a part of the prior art and is wellknown in the industry.

The foregoing embodiment of the invention has been described forillustrative purposes only and not in any limiting sense, since it willbe obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in theclaims now following.

What I claim is:

1. In a combination metal door and door frame unit installable in anopening of a wall, wherein said door frame includes a pair of integraldoor posts of substantially similar and uniform cross-section throughouttheir length, said door having integral stiles of substantially similarand uniform cross-section throughout their length and being dimensionedto fit said door frame with each of its stiles adjacent to a door postof the doorway, the combination consisting of:

A pair of flanges included in the construction of each said door post,said flanges being angularly related to each other and dimensioned andcontoured to serve respectively as a jamb flange against which the doorcloses and as a surface flange for the wall adjacent said opening;

A corner merging said flanges on each said door post;

A bead on the surface flange of each said door post;

A ledge adjacent to the corner of each said door post of the surfaceflange thereof, said ledge being disposed between said corner and saidbead;

Means for hin-gedly hanging said door by one of its said stiles on thedoor post adjacent thereto for movement thereon between an open positionrelative to said door frame and a closed position in which said door iscentered between said doorposts, said means including said bead on saiddoor post, and

A fin on each said stile, each said fin being dimensioned to overlap andengage substantially the whole of the ledge on the adjacent door postwhen the door is in its said closed position but to clear the bead onsaid adjacent door post when the door is moved between its open andclosed positions as aforesaid.

2. A combination door and door frame unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

Said door frame includes a lintel having a cross-section similar to thatof said door posts.

3. A combination door and door frame unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

Each said ledge is provided with formations for seating and retainingweather stripping.

4. A combination door and door frame unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

10 formation by said abutment;

A said abutment being disposed on each stile and spaced from the fin onthe same stile a distance corresponding to the spacing between the stopand ledge on the adjacent door post.

in claim 1 wherein:

A stop is provided on the jamb flange of each said door post spaced fromand parallel to the ledge on the same door post and said door having anabutment interceptible by each said stop when the door is in its saidclosed position; said stop being narrowed to resist deformation by saidabutment;

A said abutment being disposed on each stile and spaced from the fin onthe same stile a distance corresponding to the spacing between the stopand ledge on the adjacent door post;

Each said ledge and stop being provided with forrnartions for seatingand retaining weather stripping.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS REINALDO P.MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. K. DOWNEY, Assistant Examiner.

5. A combination door and door frame unit as claimed Haggerty 20--16 XSingleton 20 X Robinson 189-46 Segre 18946 McPhail 199-46- Zitomer 18946

1. IN A COMBINATION METAL DOOR AND DOOR FRAME UNIT INSTALLABLE IN ANOPENING OF A WALL, WHEREIN SAID DOOR FRAME INCLUDES A PAIR OF INTEGRALDOOR POSTS OF SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR AND UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION THROUGHOUTTHEIR LENGTH, SAID DOOR HAVING INTEGRAL STILES OF SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILARAND UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION THROUGHOUT THEIR LENGTH AND BEING DIMENSIONEDTO FIT SAID DOOR FRAME WITH EACH OF ITS STILES ADJACENT TO A DOOR POSTOF THE DOORWAY, THE COMBINATION CONSISTING OF: A PAIR OF FLANGESINCLUDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EACH SAID DOOR POST, SAID FLANGES BEINGANGULARLY RELATED TO EACH OTHER AND DIMENSIONED AND CONTOURED TO SERVERESPECTIVELY AS A JAMB FLANGE AGAINST WHICH THE DOOR CLOSES AND AS ASURFACE FLANGE FOR THE WALL ADJACENT SAID OPENING; A CORNER MERGING SAIDFLANGES ON EACH SAID DOOR POST; A BEAD ON THE SURFACE FLANGE OF EACHSAID DOOR POST; A LEDGE ADJACENT TO THE CORNER OF EACH SAID DOOR POST OFTHE SURFACE FLANGE THEREOF, SAID LEDGE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAIDCORNER AND SAID BEAD; MEANS FOR HINGEDLY HANGING SAID DOOR BY ONE OF ITSSAID STILES ON THE DOOR POST ADJACENT THERETO FOR MOVEMENT THEREONBETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID DOOR FRAME AND A CLOSEDPOSITION IN WHICH SAID DOOR IS CENTERED BETWEEN SAID DOORPOSTS, SAIDMEANS INCLUDING SAID BEAD ON SAID DOOR POST, AND A FIN ON EACH SAIDSTILE, EACH SAID FIN BEING DIMENSIONED TO OVERLAP AND ENGAGESUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE OF THE LEDGE ON THE ADJACENT DOOR POST WHEN THEDOOR IS IN ITS SAID CLOSED POSITION BUT TO CLEAR THE BEAD ON SAIDADJACENT DOOR POST WHEN THE DOOR IS MOVED BETWEEN ITS OPEN AND CLOSEDPOSITIONS AS AFORESAID.